Absolutely blown away to be chosen to even comment on this game - a thanks to Sabotage for sponsoring this to support us simply click the link here streaml.ink/pdac-yt-switchupg and check it out! Also to win a copy simply let us know your favourite element of the five this will be announced on Friday in a community post. Mark
I think it's only natural you guys are chosen. You guys are simply awesome! Im laying on the praise really thick here. If you know what i mean. *Wink wink. 😉
Clicked! Can’t wait for the game! So happy for you guys that you’re getting love and support from awesome devs and game publishers. ❤ this one looks awesome!
The art style is definitely what grabs my attention. I'm not a pixel art guy but man this has got to be the prettiest pixel art game I've seen! Truly a work of art!
Same here. How do you sleep at night, Mark? I'm not even a turn based RPG fan and your videos made me want to buy this game. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Laugh all you want (onlookers, not the reply author) but this is such a thing. Armored Core 6 made me turn on my Sony after three years. I could have bought a PS7 prototype with everything this channel sold me on Switch.
I think what drew me in the most was the art style and overall atmosphere, plus the combat system with real time elements helping to keep it fresh feeling.
Honestly all the things you listed had me interested in the game but if I had to pick one I would say it's the story. I'm so curious as to what the developer has to tell
The art in Sea of Stars is a visually captivating pixel masterpiece, with stunning attention to detail and a charming retro aesthetic that brings the RPG world to life.
Absolutely, I can just look at the beauty of these details for long hours without getting bored. This adds a great advantage for me, which is finishing the game many times Without feeling it. This is thanks to the wonderful work that has done by Sabotage team. I really appreciate their Hard Work to produce this masterpiece, and I look Forward to there Next Games. And I also Really Really appreciate Your content Thank You SwitchUP Team for this content. I learned a lot from Watching Your channel about my Nintendo Switch And become a nintendo fan and discover a lot of hidden-gem of Switch Games because of your channel, that provide a High Quality content about nintendo Switch.
Not to mention that it's a followup to The Messenger, being set in the ancient past. If you've played The Messenger, you've already got buy in to the world of Sea of Stars. It also has a similar spirit to it, with platforming being at its heart.
I’m 31 years old, have been on TH-cam literally over half of my life, consume an insane amount of content on TH-cam and SwitchUp is the first channel I’ve ever actually subscribed to. You gents and the content you put out is top quality and I truly enjoy every single video that comes out, even if its a review video on a game I know for a fact I’m not gonna play. I got back into gaming last year after a long hiatus and SwitchUp is hands down my favorite channel on all of TH-cam. Keep it up! As for Sea of Stars, I’m most interested in exploring the environment and the story. RPGs are a hard sell for me about 80% of the time but due to primarily this channel’s coverage (and a few others), this is near the top of my ever growing wishlist.
You humor is an important trait that goes underrated. This game looks great and being stressed at work has me interested in something that can have me laugh
For me, as a unique take on deep JRPG mechanics, the artwork and most of all story are what appeal to me the most. I really love the narrative growth of characters alongside stat- or game-growth.
My favorite thing? 🤔 I heard something about Chrono Trigger months ago and was immediately interested. Some time later, I heard the name “Yasunori Mitsuda” and I was like “ok, ok, what?”. At that point as if I needed further motivation, it was immediately in my radar. Finally, I think it was a couple of weeks ago when I watched the documentary about the development and when I saw a some members of the team emotionally describing a couple of proud moments, it just was the cherry in top. And of course there’s all the rest. Beautiful pixelated world and characters, combat, quality of life, lighting, animation, etc. I’m really happy the reviews are so positive. So yeah, that’s what I like about this game. I haven’t even play the demo. I didn’t want to to spoil any of it. I’m between jobs at the moment, but whenever I start the new one, I’ll immediately buy it 💪🏻
I like the fact that one of the feats is a clear story. While not the most important thing for me usually, right now I'm in a mood for an RPG game that just sets the mood right. Good humour is also appreciated, JRPGs often lack that lately
The comedy is what I live in games. Getting the joke and knowing the writers have your same sense of humor is what makes a game loveable. I need this game one way or another!
Art style, but not only that, it genuinely feels like the first game outside of Octopath that got every checkmark correct. It truly is an impressive game and deserves even more recognition
I've been playing it thru Game pass and I love it. I would say that I identify with #3. The game reminds me a lot to the Golden Suns series, not only with the puzzles, but also the music that involves you on the game and relaxes you, while beating monsters in a stylish way. My daughter is also playing it with me. She's in second grade, and this game's been helping her out a lot with her reading skills.
I know that a lot of people complain that modern 16-bit games don’t look as detailed and older ones, but this genuinely feels like there’s just as much detail as those older games here
It is the art style - it has a spirit of its own that evokes feelings of nostalgia and familiarity, yet in modernized pixel art. Truly captivating masterpiece!
What draws me in Sea of Stars is the perfect package it offers: wonderful art, music, a tribute to a golden era that still feels fresh and a ton of love for gaming
I always appreciate a good sense of worldbuilding in my fiction - be it Sanderson's amazing Cosmere in books or the continent of Zemuria from the Trails series in games, so it's nice to hear that ample care was put into that. That said, I'm probably most excited about the music. I didn't know it had such a wide variety, it'll be fun to see how they handled day/night transitions (also RIP Vinyl release oof).
There’s not just one reason that caught my interest in Sea of Stars: the gameplay: what an awesome combat design, very dynamic and fun, real puzzles; the visuals: I love the art style, colors, beautiful world they created, the music: sounds fantastic and dynamic, the story: it’s so important to have an enjoyable story. Thanks @SwitchUpYt because there is no other gaming TH-cam channel that analyzes/review games with such objectivity and thoughtfulness, I 100% believe in your reviews and every game I have bought after watching a SwitchUp score has been truly a wonderful game experience! Thanks again and keep doing that amazing job!
Watching the art does not do it the justice that it deserves. Went to a friends and played it for a bit, and the pixel art is honestly so beautifully crafted and incredible. In my eyes, it is one of the most beautiful games ever made!
This game is above even TotK on my wish list. As a long time lover of pixel RPGs, this looks like the culmination of something fantastic! I think the world and humor are my favorite.
What draws me most to the game is best summarized in your "Location" part. The game seems to create a wide variety of feelings due to different surroundings. So looking forward to play this game!
Super excited for the dynamic day night cycle! Was probably a pain to implement, can’t wait to see it in action. If it were real life I may keep it on night though
What appeals to me the most is the absolute and perfect understanding of Sabotage of what made the 90's jrpgs great masterpieces - the artstyle, wonderful gameplay loop, mesmerizing music, sense of humour and memorable and likeable protagonists
after playing and loving the messenger (first indie game i've ever played!!) i started following the devs and obviously this was one of my most anticipated games of the year, im so SO GLAD that people are loving it and how succesful it has been so far. Can't wait to play it!
It's amazing - how they've blended modern techniques within pixel art, and even used it as part of the gameplay mechanics. Also, they chose the right team to do this detailed review. Don't sell yourselves yourselves short! Thank you for your reviews. ❤
I used to not like pixelated games, thinking they were just old, but games like CrossCode, Octopath Traveler, and now Sea of Stars are really changing my mind
As an artist I am usually drawn to the games that have unique aesthetic, but gameplay is the thing that keeps me hooked for longer than a demo-time with a game. Cheers.
What got my interest was the plot part. Not chewed out for you, but it's there to entertain you, instead of expecting you to entertain yourself doing forensic archaeology.
The art style is what draws me the most from this game, I've seen plenty of amazing pixel art but none have really hit me with the awe or nostalgia that this game gives me for classic gameboy ganes
With how many good points are there, I really couldn't decide which part is my favorite. For me, it must be the conjunction of all of them. A good story with great humorous characters in a beautiful setting sounds like a dream. Well done!
It's the music in games that I find stays with me the most. When I hear a piece of music that sounds similar to a game soundtrack from my youth (particularly from the SNES era) I can't help but have a massive smile on my face.
So far for me I'm finding the music, the graphics and the streamlined game mechanics most appealing! I often find I get overwhelmed with too many game mechanics to try and remember in rpgs I get fed up fast, this has that balance just right for me so far! Fantastic old school rpg...in fact I'm tempted to say one of the best I've played!
The animation during battles and stuff looks amazing. Gotta grab this soon to play while im under the weather. Congrats on you guys catching their eye thats awesome! The way the characters glow different colours is pretty awesome too
I think what pleasantly surprised me the most about The Messenger was the story and sense of humor. I can’t wait to see what they cooked up for this one
Now it’s hard to comment on a game I haven’t played yet, but it’s the humor that sets Sabotage’s games apart. I mean, Sea of Stars in particular absolutely knocked the art and ambiance and music into the stratosphere, but those are all cases of doing things well. What I mean is, no one else is doing humor the way these guys are-it’s an aspect basically unique to Sea of Stars and the Messenger. Just as much as this pixel art is signature here, so is the brand of humor. They walk that fine line of not taking themselves too seriously and yet being able to pull out the gravitas when it counts-it calls to mind several episodes of Scrubs or Futurama that way, and I salute them for it.
I think the art is the most appealing thing. Usually i’m a story and setting type person because i love fantasy world building, but as i kept watching i couldn’t help but think “damn this game looks good.” I particularly like the moment at 7:55 when we see a character casting a fireball look very impressive, from the animations as the spell builds up to the lighting and dynamic shadows it creates, chef’s kiss
I'd say what draws me the most is the overall game design, you can see the inspiration they had from other games in the combat, music, art and even the writing (from what I saw in the demo), I'd definitely describe this game as nostalgic and lovable.
I remember reading about this game maybe a year ago and seeing the game being described as "inspired by Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG" and a lot of games boast comparisons to Chrono but it was the combination of these two games that really caught my attention. I grew up with SMRPG and EarthBound, and played Chrono Trigger years later -- I think those 3 RPGs arguably have the most soul of all of the Super Nintendo RPGs from that era. It's clear to me from your review here that the game seems to have that kind of soul, and I hope to experience that myself here soon. I have yet to pick it up because the funds are just a little tight right now, but it seems like a very magical experience that might rival those three games. I saw eye to eye with you on a lot of other switch titles like Eastward so here's to hoping that this one will be as awesome to me as it seems to be to you. 🍻
Glad to see so many experiencing this masterpiece. Everything about Sea of Stars only gets better as you progress. Will be bittersweet to end this adventure and find my name in the credits.
You have single handedly created my ridiculous backlog. I think if I play Nintendo Switch for the rest of my life I will never complete it. Will be watching for a sale on flinthook! I am overwhelmed by the ability of games like Chrono Trigger, Golden Sun, The Messenger, and now Sea of Stars to make me FEEL a sense of scope with Pixel Art, Music, and “Lighting”. My friends and family have never been able to understand why I feel sucked into a good game with such a “simple” art style. I still can not explain how the real world melts around me and am able to fall into the screen. Happy to hear an underdog like me lives in this world (Garl). But most of the type of guy who hears way too often that I don’t live up to my “potential”. Many things to Sabotage for the new adventure, and to SwitchUp’s for bringing light to it. You guys are still my number one TH-cam channel for gaming (with Nintendo Life being second).
I was brought back to playing Nintendo with my brother on a winter day sitting in the game room enjoying a cocoa and scone. I am 45 and the nostalgia is what keeps me coming back for more. You can't put a price on fond memories and this truly brings it out of you.
The art style is what put this game on my radar. Between games like and chained echoes showing off the classic pixel art style and the HD2D games like triangle strategy, i think it's safe to say that pixel art is just going to get better
I love the visuals, it almost makes me feel like a can pick the image out like a popup book. Pixel art is making a subtle yet amazing return in games and im loving it so far.
Of course it's just one of many reasons why the game's great, but I could listen to the soundtrack for hours and hours. To me, this has to be the greatest thing about this absolute gem of a game.
For me the visuals are what gets me. The art style talks to me in a way that makes me feel the nostalgia of back in the day when I could play the whole day but at the same time it feels more modern
I love the pixel art here. I don’t always notice individual things like water reflections, but the overall quality and the sum of all the parts makes the quality undeniable!
I think for me, growing up playing games like Grandia, Final Fantasy, Suikoden 2; those games all had that magic combination of 5 things; art, music, world-building, story and humour. I love how this game takes those qualities but makes them their own. It’s not copying what’s gone before, but building on it and making a game that couldn’t have existed on 90s hardware. The young RPG fan in me cannot wait to play this one.
The art style is what appeals to me the most. I love art & just seeing this inspires me to make more pixel art. Thanks for your constant community engagement 👌 I'll be picking this game up for sure one of these upcoming days
I remember back in the day when I spent months saving pocket money to get myself a copy of The Secret of Mana. I had a review of it in a video game magazine I would look at every day until I had managed to save up for it. Back in the mid nineties, these huge worlds contained on a video game cartridge seemed impossible. The colour, the music, the characters. The Secret of Mana will always hold a special place. Sea of Stars clearly has the dna of Mana, along with a lot of other games of that era. I have to say the visuals have to be my favourite element. That look fills me with a ton of nostalgia and takes my memory of an old JRPG and turns everything up to 11. Thanks to the developers for all the hard work put into this game. It’s been a success and I can’t wait to play it.
As an avid JRPG fan the thing that drew me to Sea of Stars was the art. It’s some of the most beautiful pixel art I’ve ever seen. I absolutely loved my time with the Demo and I can’t wait until I’m actually able to get my hands on the full game!
Seems like a perfect marriage to me. Sabotage put love and care into their games and you guys put love and care into your reviews and channel. Great news on the sponsor and a very lovely video- congrats Mark and Switchup in general. I'd love for more videos like these just pointing out the good stuff.
100% soundtrack for me. Sets the scene extremely well for all the diverse areas in the game. If you played the game with the sound muted it would take a huge amount away from it. Loved the fact your review delved into the history of the original composer and the collaboration for this game.
Definitely the art style is what grabbed me first but as someone who played chrono trigger for the first time during COVID the music really does bring back memories of playing and falling in love with that game.
Atmosphere is everything. It's what lets a developer take a fun gameplay idea and make it stay fun for the whole runtime. Sea of Stars certainly looks (and sounds) like it has atmosphere
Honestly my favorite element... has to be the setting(s). Everything else combined with the locations bring the game together to create such a gem, but in the demo, I found myself getting lost in the world around me. Even in just the beginning, it was beautiful and a delight to adventure through. Exploring never feels boring or pointless. Such a lovely atmosphere surrounding the story and characters!
Haven’t played the game yet but one thing that is catching my eye is the locations. Like you Mark, I do love exploring. I notoriously can take a 30 hour game and stretch it out for 80 hours.
As a single dad of two, I often find myself drawn to places that catch my attention, and that's precisely how I'd like to experience the game and what I like about the sea of stars - by visiting these enchanting fantasy locations and relieving that feeling of excitement just like the good old days of my childhood rpg games! And this is my reward for being a good dad
I'm so glad games like these exist. It's the closest form of time travel we have. Whenever i play a game like this, im transported back to 1995. My friend and I, sitting around my hand me down tv that had those knobs to change channels, playing games like Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, etc. There is a reason pixel art rpg games hold up. That was the golden age of video games!
For me it's a combination of many elements (art style, music, gameplay) that makes this game feel like those RPGs I grew up with and something new to immerse myself and get lost in it's magic for a while.
Seeing how I fell in love with The Messenger from the first time I played it, I’m not surprised that the visual style and humor of Sea of Stars are just as much of a stand out here as they were for that game! I also appreciate you saying that the story isn’t too complex, because those are generally the sorts of stories I like in a game
This game truly just looks so freaking amazing. Color palettes on the environment and characters are just insane. There has to be some color theory wizardry shenanigans at work here... especially that coral area like what it just looks so good.
I’ve yet to play this game, but the music alone is enough for me to want to dive right in! I can’t believe the nostalgia it gives me of old school games yet still have a modern sound to it. The music is beautifully done from what I’ve heard so far.
While so much of this excellent study over one of the most important games in years, I most loved “Sound of the Sea,” as the soundtrack is given such an important view of what makes this game incredible. I love how each contributor is given their due credit for their work. I think sound in a game, especially an RPG, is crucial to the memories we carry with us after the credits roll at the end. Surely, I am far too late to securing myself a copy of this game, I wanted to at least say thank you for providing such a comprehensive overview of this wonderful title.
I mean, immediately the art style catches your eye, but the music is what captures me the most and I'm not one to really go crazy over game soundtracks. Have this on my wishlist and hope to take it off soon when I get it
When I played the demo, the one that really hits me the most is the sound design. Those small dings and dongs as sound effects, like when their weapon hits is such a dopamine rush. I love it.
This has sooooo much attention to detail in all the Sprite work and environmental lighting... I'm absolutely hooked, bummed that the physical won't be available until next year, but it will be a day one purchase for me when it releases
I guess for me since I've only played the demo is the battles. Seeing also how much effort goes into the animation of the team attacks while trying to nail down the timing of it is awesome. Made me appreciate the graphics of the game even more.
My favorite of why this sold so well is number 1: A work of Art. The pixel art style, the real time rendering, and overall asethetic is why people are noticing this gem!
Yeah this game fr blew me away and of course I finally finished playing it like yesterday 35hrs of gameplay time baby really was so into the zone with this one lol and I got the "TRUE ENDING AND FOUND THE SECRET EASTER EGG" as well, Here's to hoping the upcoming games will be another masterpiece :D
The visuals for me, more and more as I am getting older graphics don't really bother me as much. This old skool-esque art style really brings back the nostalgia. Thanks for the opportunity with the competition
The visual style absolutely captures my interest, as well as the fact that this game's writers have a sense of humor! A lot of fantasy worlds have a habit of taking themselves too seriously, and it's wonderful to know that the whole "saving the world" aspect doesn't preclude these characters from having their best friend poke fun at them a little bit!
It’s really hard picking a favorite part out of those five being portrayed. For me the one thing that is most important when it comes to video games, or basically anything else in life - your channel not excluded - is the love that people put into their work. That’s the reason why there is art on screen and not just some funky pixels hopping around. And the same reason goes for a good portion of humor in both the game and your channel. Which I appreciate a lot, so there you have it ❤ thanks guys and see you in the next episode
What appealed most to me was definitely the amazing art style both from the excellent cover and in-game. It truly captures the aesthetic from those incredible JRPG from the past and manages to bring something new with beautiful lighting and charismatic pixel art.
I played the demo and really enjoyed my time with it, both in terms of combat and the puzzles. I think I am mostly intrigued by the story and the characters themselves. The world and the visual look great too. Thank you for the awesome content as always!
Absolutely blown away to be chosen to even comment on this game - a thanks to Sabotage for sponsoring this to support us simply click the link here streaml.ink/pdac-yt-switchupg and check it out! Also to win a copy simply let us know your favourite element of the five this will be announced on Friday in a community post. Mark
Nice one, Marko! (link clicked ❤)
Nice one!
I think it's only natural you guys are chosen. You guys are simply awesome!
Im laying on the praise really thick here. If you know what i mean.
*Wink wink. 😉
Visually beautiful that's what I say.
Clicked! Can’t wait for the game! So happy for you guys that you’re getting love and support from awesome devs and game publishers. ❤ this one looks awesome!
The art style is definitely what grabs my attention. I'm not a pixel art guy but man this has got to be the prettiest pixel art game I've seen! Truly a work of art!
Mark….Mark,Mark,Mark…..I need you to know that I hold you personally responsible for my backlog…How dare you sir! LOL
😂
Hahahah I am not guilty… I mean it’s true I just don’t feel guilty about it lol😂 - Mark.
Same here. How do you sleep at night, Mark? I'm not even a turn based RPG fan and your videos made me want to buy this game. You should be ashamed of yourself.
No doubt !
Laugh all you want (onlookers, not the reply author) but this is such a thing. Armored Core 6 made me turn on my Sony after three years. I could have bought a PS7 prototype with everything this channel sold me on Switch.
I think what drew me in the most was the art style and overall atmosphere, plus the combat system with real time elements helping to keep it fresh feeling.
Yes I enjoyed those a lot - keeps it engaging. Mark
The gameplay and style is really good, but the characters/dialog/story isn't that interesting. A One Piece game in this style would be awesome
Honestly all the things you listed had me interested in the game but if I had to pick one I would say it's the story. I'm so curious as to what the developer has to tell
The art in Sea of Stars is a visually captivating pixel masterpiece, with stunning attention to detail and a charming retro aesthetic that brings the RPG world to life.
It’s pretty insane isn’t it? So good. Mark
Absolutely, I can just look at the beauty of these details for long hours without getting bored.
This adds a great advantage for me, which is finishing the game many times Without feeling it.
This is thanks to the wonderful work that has done by Sabotage team.
I really appreciate their Hard Work to produce this masterpiece, and I look Forward to there Next Games.
And I also Really Really appreciate Your content Thank You SwitchUP Team for this content. I learned a lot from Watching Your channel about my Nintendo Switch And become a nintendo fan and discover a lot of hidden-gem of Switch Games because of your channel, that provide a High Quality content about nintendo Switch.
Not to mention that it's a followup to The Messenger, being set in the ancient past. If you've played The Messenger, you've already got buy in to the world of Sea of Stars. It also has a similar spirit to it, with platforming being at its heart.
The game looks so fresh and unique, yet so nostalgic. You can almost feel there was a lot of love put into it.
I’m 31 years old, have been on TH-cam literally over half of my life, consume an insane amount of content on TH-cam and SwitchUp is the first channel I’ve ever actually subscribed to. You gents and the content you put out is top quality and I truly enjoy every single video that comes out, even if its a review video on a game I know for a fact I’m not gonna play. I got back into gaming last year after a long hiatus and SwitchUp is hands down my favorite channel on all of TH-cam. Keep it up!
As for Sea of Stars, I’m most interested in exploring the environment and the story. RPGs are a hard sell for me about 80% of the time but due to primarily this channel’s coverage (and a few others), this is near the top of my ever growing wishlist.
The art style is definitely what has kept me thinking about this game for so long, an absolute work of art
You humor is an important trait that goes underrated. This game looks great and being stressed at work has me interested in something that can have me laugh
For me, as a unique take on deep JRPG mechanics, the artwork and most of all story are what appeal to me the most. I really love the narrative growth of characters alongside stat- or game-growth.
My favorite thing? 🤔 I heard something about Chrono Trigger months ago and was immediately interested. Some time later, I heard the name “Yasunori Mitsuda” and I was like “ok, ok, what?”. At that point as if I needed further motivation, it was immediately in my radar. Finally, I think it was a couple of weeks ago when I watched the documentary about the development and when I saw a some members of the team emotionally describing a couple of proud moments, it just was the cherry in top. And of course there’s all the rest. Beautiful pixelated world and characters, combat, quality of life, lighting, animation, etc. I’m really happy the reviews are so positive.
So yeah, that’s what I like about this game. I haven’t even play the demo. I didn’t want to to spoil any of it. I’m between jobs at the moment, but whenever I start the new one, I’ll immediately buy it 💪🏻
I like the fact that one of the feats is a clear story. While not the most important thing for me usually, right now I'm in a mood for an RPG game that just sets the mood right. Good humour is also appreciated, JRPGs often lack that lately
Yeah it’s so easy to follow
It's the visuals man. This game just looks sooo good. That pixel art is just, "chef's kiss" baby. Music is great too! 😋
I NEED it in my life!
The comedy is what I live in games. Getting the joke and knowing the writers have your same sense of humor is what makes a game loveable. I need this game one way or another!
I wish some of that love would have been put into making a map and a quest log, those essential things missing causes me no end of frustration
Art style, but not only that, it genuinely feels like the first game outside of Octopath that got every checkmark correct. It truly is an impressive game and deserves even more recognition
I've been playing it thru Game pass and I love it. I would say that I identify with #3. The game reminds me a lot to the Golden Suns series, not only with the puzzles, but also the music that involves you on the game and relaxes you, while beating monsters in a stylish way. My daughter is also playing it with me. She's in second grade, and this game's been helping her out a lot with her reading skills.
The graphics are what first drew me to this game, I’m a sucker for some good pixel art! That music is also top tier, absolutely love it
I know that a lot of people complain that modern 16-bit games don’t look as detailed and older ones, but this genuinely feels like there’s just as much detail as those older games here
It is the art style - it has a spirit of its own that evokes feelings of nostalgia and familiarity, yet in modernized pixel art. Truly captivating masterpiece!
What draws me in Sea of Stars is the perfect package it offers: wonderful art, music, a tribute to a golden era that still feels fresh and a ton of love for gaming
I always appreciate a good sense of worldbuilding in my fiction - be it Sanderson's amazing Cosmere in books or the continent of Zemuria from the Trails series in games, so it's nice to hear that ample care was put into that.
That said, I'm probably most excited about the music. I didn't know it had such a wide variety, it'll be fun to see how they handled day/night transitions (also RIP Vinyl release oof).
I'm so happy 16/32 bit style jrpg are still a thing. You really can tell this game was made by fans for fans.
There’s not just one reason that caught my interest in Sea of Stars: the gameplay: what an awesome combat design, very dynamic and fun, real puzzles; the visuals: I love the art style, colors, beautiful world they created, the music: sounds fantastic and dynamic, the story: it’s so important to have an enjoyable story.
Thanks @SwitchUpYt because there is no other gaming TH-cam channel that analyzes/review games with such objectivity and thoughtfulness, I 100% believe in your reviews and every game I have bought after watching a SwitchUp score has been truly a wonderful game experience! Thanks again and keep doing that amazing job!
The environment, level design, and art style are all captivating. Beautiful design through and through!
Watching the art does not do it the justice that it deserves. Went to a friends and played it for a bit, and the pixel art is honestly so beautifully crafted and incredible. In my eyes, it is one of the most beautiful games ever made!
Totally unrelated, just wanted to give you a heads-up: you can now buy Mortal Shell for the price of a saveloy! Which I did, obviously 😅
Indeed. I just saw the sale price for mortal shell moments ago and im like "whaaaaa?!" 😅
@@Ser-Smiley Did you buy it? Gotta keep that backlog nice and plump!
@@ppbunt haha. No. I didnt buy it. Im broke. Like cripplingly broke right now. 😂
I think there are a lot of beautiful games, maybe not as beautiful as this one, but a memorable and enjoyable story is what makes a game timeless.
This game is above even TotK on my wish list. As a long time lover of pixel RPGs, this looks like the culmination of something fantastic! I think the world and humor are my favorite.
What draws me most to the game is best summarized in your "Location" part. The game seems to create a wide variety of feelings due to different surroundings. So looking forward to play this game!
Super excited for the dynamic day night cycle! Was probably a pain to implement, can’t wait to see it in action.
If it were real life I may keep it on night though
What appeals to me the most is the absolute and perfect understanding of Sabotage of what made the 90's jrpgs great masterpieces - the artstyle, wonderful gameplay loop, mesmerizing music, sense of humour and memorable and likeable protagonists
The setting just looks wondrous, to be able to revisit the world of The Messenger is just a treat I can't wait to experience!
after playing and loving the messenger (first indie game i've ever played!!) i started following the devs and obviously this was one of my most anticipated games of the year, im so SO GLAD that people are loving it and how succesful it has been so far. Can't wait to play it!
It's amazing - how they've blended modern techniques within pixel art, and even used it as part of the gameplay mechanics.
Also, they chose the right team to do this detailed review. Don't sell yourselves yourselves short! Thank you for your reviews. ❤
I used to not like pixelated games, thinking they were just old, but games like CrossCode, Octopath Traveler, and now Sea of Stars are really changing my mind
As an artist I am usually drawn to the games that have unique aesthetic, but gameplay is the thing that keeps me hooked for longer than a demo-time with a game. Cheers.
What got my interest was the plot part. Not chewed out for you, but it's there to entertain you, instead of expecting you to entertain yourself doing forensic archaeology.
The art style is what draws me the most from this game, I've seen plenty of amazing pixel art but none have really hit me with the awe or nostalgia that this game gives me for classic gameboy ganes
With how many good points are there, I really couldn't decide which part is my favorite. For me, it must be the conjunction of all of them.
A good story with great humorous characters in a beautiful setting sounds like a dream. Well done!
Visuals ooze love and care. Its like your brain is looking for "issues" and "smudges" - but its so polished and crisp... Amazing.
It's the music in games that I find stays with me the most. When I hear a piece of music that sounds similar to a game soundtrack from my youth (particularly from the SNES era) I can't help but have a massive smile on my face.
So far for me I'm finding the music, the graphics and the streamlined game mechanics most appealing! I often find I get overwhelmed with too many game mechanics to try and remember in rpgs I get fed up fast, this has that balance just right for me so far! Fantastic old school rpg...in fact I'm tempted to say one of the best I've played!
The animation during battles and stuff looks amazing. Gotta grab this soon to play while im under the weather. Congrats on you guys catching their eye thats awesome! The way the characters glow different colours is pretty awesome too
Incredible game. Just beat it and I think I will attempt to 100% it, maybe. I never bother doing that with many games. A really nice game.
I think what pleasantly surprised me the most about The Messenger was the story and sense of humor. I can’t wait to see what they cooked up for this one
Now it’s hard to comment on a game I haven’t played yet, but it’s the humor that sets Sabotage’s games apart. I mean, Sea of Stars in particular absolutely knocked the art and ambiance and music into the stratosphere, but those are all cases of doing things well. What I mean is, no one else is doing humor the way these guys are-it’s an aspect basically unique to Sea of Stars and the Messenger. Just as much as this pixel art is signature here, so is the brand of humor. They walk that fine line of not taking themselves too seriously and yet being able to pull out the gravitas when it counts-it calls to mind several episodes of Scrubs or Futurama that way, and I salute them for it.
I think the art is the most appealing thing. Usually i’m a story and setting type person because i love fantasy world building, but as i kept watching i couldn’t help but think “damn this game looks good.” I particularly like the moment at 7:55 when we see a character casting a fireball look very impressive, from the animations as the spell builds up to the lighting and dynamic shadows it creates, chef’s kiss
I'd say what draws me the most is the overall game design, you can see the inspiration they had from other games in the combat, music, art and even the writing (from what I saw in the demo), I'd definitely describe this game as nostalgic and lovable.
I remember reading about this game maybe a year ago and seeing the game being described as "inspired by Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG" and a lot of games boast comparisons to Chrono but it was the combination of these two games that really caught my attention. I grew up with SMRPG and EarthBound, and played Chrono Trigger years later -- I think those 3 RPGs arguably have the most soul of all of the Super Nintendo RPGs from that era. It's clear to me from your review here that the game seems to have that kind of soul, and I hope to experience that myself here soon. I have yet to pick it up because the funds are just a little tight right now, but it seems like a very magical experience that might rival those three games. I saw eye to eye with you on a lot of other switch titles like Eastward so here's to hoping that this one will be as awesome to me as it seems to be to you. 🍻
Glad to see so many experiencing this masterpiece. Everything about Sea of Stars only gets better as you progress. Will be bittersweet to end this adventure and find my name in the credits.
You have single handedly created my ridiculous backlog. I think if I play Nintendo Switch for the rest of my life I will never complete it.
Will be watching for a sale on flinthook! I am overwhelmed by the ability of games like Chrono Trigger, Golden Sun, The Messenger, and now Sea of Stars to make me FEEL a sense of scope with Pixel Art, Music, and “Lighting”. My friends and family have never been able to understand why I feel sucked into a good game with such a “simple” art style. I still can not explain how the real world melts around me and am able to fall into the screen. Happy to hear an underdog like me lives in this world (Garl). But most of the type of guy who hears way too often that I don’t live up to my “potential”.
Many things to Sabotage for the new adventure, and to SwitchUp’s for bringing light to it. You guys are still my number one TH-cam channel for gaming (with Nintendo Life being second).
I was brought back to playing Nintendo with my brother on a winter day sitting in the game room enjoying a cocoa and scone. I am 45 and the nostalgia is what keeps me coming back for more. You can't put a price on fond memories and this truly brings it out of you.
The art style is what put this game on my radar. Between games like and chained echoes showing off the classic pixel art style and the HD2D games like triangle strategy, i think it's safe to say that pixel art is just going to get better
I love the visuals, it almost makes me feel like a can pick the image out like a popup book. Pixel art is making a subtle yet amazing return in games and im loving it so far.
Of course it's just one of many reasons why the game's great, but I could listen to the soundtrack for hours and hours. To me, this has to be the greatest thing about this absolute gem of a game.
For me the visuals are what gets me. The art style talks to me in a way that makes me feel the nostalgia of back in the day when I could play the whole day but at the same time it feels more modern
I love the pixel art here. I don’t always notice individual things like water reflections, but the overall quality and the sum of all the parts makes the quality undeniable!
I think for me, growing up playing games like Grandia, Final Fantasy, Suikoden 2; those games all had that magic combination of 5 things; art, music, world-building, story and humour. I love how this game takes those qualities but makes them their own. It’s not copying what’s gone before, but building on it and making a game that couldn’t have existed on 90s hardware. The young RPG fan in me cannot wait to play this one.
The art style is what appeals to me the most. I love art & just seeing this inspires me to make more pixel art. Thanks for your constant community engagement 👌 I'll be picking this game up for sure one of these upcoming days
This is such a nostalgia trip for me. Sea of Stars really reminds me of growing up during the SNES/Genesis era. Sabotage did an outstanding job!!!
I remember back in the day when I spent months saving pocket money to get myself a copy of The Secret of Mana. I had a review of it in a video game magazine I would look at every day until I had managed to save up for it. Back in the mid nineties, these huge worlds contained on a video game cartridge seemed impossible. The colour, the music, the characters. The Secret of Mana will always hold a special place.
Sea of Stars clearly has the dna of Mana, along with a lot of other games of that era. I have to say the visuals have to be my favourite element. That look fills me with a ton of nostalgia and takes my memory of an old JRPG and turns everything up to 11.
Thanks to the developers for all the hard work put into this game. It’s been a success and I can’t wait to play it.
As an avid JRPG fan the thing that drew me to Sea of Stars was the art. It’s some of the most beautiful pixel art I’ve ever seen. I absolutely loved my time with the Demo and I can’t wait until I’m actually able to get my hands on the full game!
Seems like a perfect marriage to me. Sabotage put love and care into their games and you guys put love and care into your reviews and channel. Great news on the sponsor and a very lovely video- congrats Mark and Switchup in general. I'd love for more videos like these just pointing out the good stuff.
That soundtrack. Nostalgic whilst feeling fresh. I loved the messenger and this ost seems to be living up to that!
The sound of the sea is truly something special, music pulls me in so many directions nostalgia wise, predominantly so much secret of mana
100% soundtrack for me. Sets the scene extremely well for all the diverse areas in the game. If you played the game with the sound muted it would take a huge amount away from it. Loved the fact your review delved into the history of the original composer and the collaboration for this game.
Love having humor in the game. So many games are so serious it is nice to have some moments of lightness
Definitely the art style is what grabbed me first but as someone who played chrono trigger for the first time during COVID the music really does bring back memories of playing and falling in love with that game.
Atmosphere is everything. It's what lets a developer take a fun gameplay idea and make it stay fun for the whole runtime. Sea of Stars certainly looks (and sounds) like it has atmosphere
Mine has to be “A work of art”. The way the lighting dynamically lights up the environment takes the already beautiful pixel art to the next level.
The soundtrack with the art style go so good togather
The art is absolutely beautiful! Would love a copy to introduce my son to the amazing world of retro RPG's.
Honestly my favorite element... has to be the setting(s). Everything else combined with the locations bring the game together to create such a gem, but in the demo, I found myself getting lost in the world around me. Even in just the beginning, it was beautiful and a delight to adventure through. Exploring never feels boring or pointless. Such a lovely atmosphere surrounding the story and characters!
Haven’t played the game yet but one thing that is catching my eye is the locations. Like you Mark, I do love exploring. I notoriously can take a 30 hour game and stretch it out for 80 hours.
As a single dad of two, I often find myself drawn to places that catch my attention, and that's precisely how I'd like to experience the game and what I like about the sea of stars - by visiting these enchanting fantasy locations and relieving that feeling of excitement just like the good old days of my childhood rpg games! And this is my reward for being a good dad
I'm so glad games like these exist. It's the closest form of time travel we have. Whenever i play a game like this, im transported back to 1995. My friend and I, sitting around my hand me down tv that had those knobs to change channels, playing games like Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, etc. There is a reason pixel art rpg games hold up. That was the golden age of video games!
For me it's a combination of many elements (art style, music, gameplay) that makes this game feel like those RPGs I grew up with and something new to immerse myself and get lost in it's magic for a while.
I was absolutely in love with the soundtrack from the Messanger, so I can't wait to see what they can do with an old school RPG
Yeah they really did a great job. Mark
Seeing how I fell in love with The Messenger from the first time I played it, I’m not surprised that the visual style and humor of Sea of Stars are just as much of a stand out here as they were for that game! I also appreciate you saying that the story isn’t too complex, because those are generally the sorts of stories I like in a game
This game truly just looks so freaking amazing. Color palettes on the environment and characters are just insane. There has to be some color theory wizardry shenanigans at work here... especially that coral area like what it just looks so good.
Clearcut story is a must in any RPG, I love to get invested in characters and find out what is next in store for them
The art style for sure. The combat system elevate the gameplay too with real-time inputs allowed. Played the demo and was really impressed. Cheers!
Oh my, the settings, the scenery, the pixel art and the story line all look to be stunning and amazing
I’ve yet to play this game, but the music alone is enough for me to want to dive right in! I can’t believe the nostalgia it gives me of old school games yet still have a modern sound to it.
The music is beautifully done from what I’ve heard so far.
While so much of this excellent study over one of the most important games in years, I most loved “Sound of the Sea,” as the soundtrack is given such an important view of what makes this game incredible. I love how each contributor is given their due credit for their work. I think sound in a game, especially an RPG, is crucial to the memories we carry with us after the credits roll at the end.
Surely, I am far too late to securing myself a copy of this game, I wanted to at least say thank you for providing such a comprehensive overview of this wonderful title.
I mean, immediately the art style catches your eye, but the music is what captures me the most and I'm not one to really go crazy over game soundtracks. Have this on my wishlist and hope to take it off soon when I get it
When I played the demo, the one that really hits me the most is the sound design. Those small dings and dongs as sound effects, like when their weapon hits is such a dopamine rush. I love it.
This has sooooo much attention to detail in all the Sprite work and environmental lighting... I'm absolutely hooked, bummed that the physical won't be available until next year, but it will be a day one purchase for me when it releases
I guess for me since I've only played the demo is the battles. Seeing also how much effort goes into the animation of the team attacks while trying to nail down the timing of it is awesome. Made me appreciate the graphics of the game even more.
The music is definitely my favorite part of games
Secret of Mana was my favorite SNES RPG. Glad you touched on the art style. Look forward to playing the game.
My favorite of why this sold so well is number 1: A work of Art. The pixel art style, the real time rendering, and overall asethetic is why people are noticing this gem!
Yeah this game fr blew me away and of course I finally finished playing it like yesterday 35hrs of gameplay time baby really was so into the zone with this one lol and I got the "TRUE ENDING AND FOUND THE SECRET EASTER EGG" as well, Here's to hoping the upcoming games will be another masterpiece :D
The visuals for me, more and more as I am getting older graphics don't really bother me as much. This old skool-esque art style really brings back the nostalgia. Thanks for the opportunity with the competition
The visual style absolutely captures my interest, as well as the fact that this game's writers have a sense of humor! A lot of fantasy worlds have a habit of taking themselves too seriously, and it's wonderful to know that the whole "saving the world" aspect doesn't preclude these characters from having their best friend poke fun at them a little bit!
It’s really hard picking a favorite part out of those five being portrayed. For me the one thing that is most important when it comes to video games, or basically anything else in life - your channel not excluded - is the love that people put into their work. That’s the reason why there is art on screen and not just some funky pixels hopping around. And the same reason goes for a good portion of humor in both the game and your channel. Which I appreciate a lot, so there you have it ❤ thanks guys and see you in the next episode
What appealed most to me was definitely the amazing art style both from the excellent cover and in-game. It truly captures the aesthetic from those incredible JRPG from the past and manages to bring something new with beautiful lighting and charismatic pixel art.
I played the demo and really enjoyed my time with it, both in terms of combat and the puzzles. I think I am mostly intrigued by the story and the characters themselves. The world and the visual look great too. Thank you for the awesome content as always!